The church adopts The Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. This is in no way equal to the Holy Scriptures. A summary of this confession and what we believe is as follows.
1. The Holy Scriptures
We believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by inspiration of God and that they are therefore inerrant in all matters and our final authority, being the only true rule for faith and practice.
2 Timothy 3:13, 2 Peter 1:21, John 10:25, Isaiah 8:20, Acts 17:11
We believe the Scriptures to be complete and that they are not to be added to in any way, since the prophets and apostles, with the miraculous signs given through them, were provided by God for the foundation of the New Testament church and until the Scriptures were completed.
Revelation 22:18, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 2:20
2. God − The Holy Trinity
We believe there is only one living and true God who has been pleased to reveal His glorious character in creation but especially in the Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Timothy 2:5, Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1-11
We believe that God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures as existing in three distinct persons with the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are equal in nature, power and glory. The Son and the Holy Spirit are as truly God as the Father.
Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 10:30, Romans 9:5, Acts 5:3-4
3. The Covenant of Grace
We believe that before the world began God chose unto everlasting salvation, those whom He did predestinate to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. This choice was not due to any foreseen faith or good works in those chosen but was according to the free and sovereign grace of God.
Ephesians 1:4, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 8:29, Ephesians 1:5, 2 Timothy 1:9, Romans 11:5
We believe that God the Father made a covenant of grace and peace with His Son Jesus Christ on behalf of those chosen, who were put into the hands of Christ and made His special care and charge, He agreeing to come into the world to keep the law for them and give His life on the cross for their sins and so obtain for them eternal life.
Psalm 89:3, Isaiah 42:6, Hebrews 13:20, John 6:37, 39, John 10:27-29, Galatians 4:4-5
4. Creation and the Fall of Man
We believe that God created the universe, all originally very good, in six literal days and that the purpose for the creation of man was that he should love and glorify God his Maker which he was able to do in the beginning. We reject the theory of evolution and all “long-age” opinions of the earth.
Genesis 1:31, Exodus 20:11, Matthew 22:36-38, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Ecclesiastes 7:29
We believe that Adam stood as the Head and Representative of mankind and that in sinning all his posterity sinned in him. Therefore, the sin of Adam is imputed by God to all his offspring, and they all derive a corrupt and sinful nature from the womb. From this corrupt nature, all other sins proceed.
Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:3, Psalm 51:5, John 3:6, Matthew 15:19, Matthew 7:17-18
We believe that because of Adam’s original sin, and the actual sins that men and women commit, all of the human race are by nature spiritually dead. Consequently, they are subject to physical death and to eternal punishment in hell.
Genesis 2:16-17, Ephesians 2:1, 1 Corinthians 15:22, Romans 6:23, Matthew 25:46
We believe that God, (who must always be described and addressed using masculine terms as the Bible does, never feminine or gender-neutral), in His sovereignty creates people in His image as either male or female, and this creation is biologically immutable.
Genesis 1:27, Genesis 5:2, Matthew 19:4, Mark 10:6
5. Jesus Christ The Mediator
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, being established from everlasting as the Mediator of the New Covenant, having engaged to be the surety of His people, did, in the fullness of time, really assume human nature, consisting of a true body and soul.
Proverbs 8:23, 1 Timothy 2:5, Galatians 4:4, Hebrews 10:5, Matthew 26:38
We believe that He was born of the virgin Mary and that His taking a human nature did in no way mean that He ceased to be the Divine Son of God but was, during His earthly life and is forever, both God and man in one person.
Matthew 1:23, John 5:17-18, Acts 20:28, Hebrews 5:6
We believe that as the Mediator He really suffered and died as a substitute for His people in paying the penalty for their sins, having perfectly obeyed every commandment of God’s Law for them. Christ died particularly and only for those who were entrusted to Him in the covenant of grace.
2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 53:4-6, Mark 10:45, Matthew 3:15, Matthew 1:21, John 10:15
We believe that Jesus Christ was buried, that He rose again on the third day in the same body that had been crucified, though now glorified, and that He appeared to many and ascended into heaven to intercede for His people.
1 Corinthians 15:4-8, John 20:27, Acts 1:9-11, John 17:9, Hebrews 9:24
6. Evangelism and Effectual Calling
We believe that Jesus Christ has given His church the responsibility to preach the gospel to every creature and that we are to use all available means within God’s Word to this end. The doctrines of God’s sovereign grace in salvation should in no way inhibit evangelistic zeal and enterprise.
Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, 2 Timothy 2:10, Romans 9:1-3
We believe that although the gospel is to be preached sincerely and passionately to all, that only those who have been chosen by God in eternity and redeemed by Christ on the cross will actually respond to the call of the gospel, the Holy Spirit irresistibly working in their dead souls in order to enable them to believe and repent.
Romans 8:29-30, Acts 13:48, John 10:16, Psalm 110:3, Matthew 22:14, John 3:3
7. Justification
We believe that Justification is an act of God’s free grace whereby He pardons sin and accounts the sinner righteous in His sight. This is not based on anything we have done but only on the righteousness of Christ imputed to the sinner which is received by faith alone.
Romans 3:21-22, 28, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 4:1-4, Romans 5:19, Galatians 3:10-13
8. Sanctification and Perseverance
We believe that the sinner who is enabled by the Holy Spirit to trust in Christ and repent of sin becomes a new creature in Christ. However, due to remaining corruption, there is a continual need and responsibility to progress in holiness through the power of the indwelling Spirit. Without a holy life, no man will see the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:12-13, Galatians 5:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Hebrews 12:14
We believe that all those chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son and called by the Holy Spirit through the gospel shall certainly and finally persevere, that not one will perish but shall enter into everlasting life. This in no way contradicts the need for holiness but means that God will keep and preserve His people in the way of holiness.
Romans 8:29-30, John 10:28-29, Matthew 24:12-13, 1 Peter 1:15-16
9. The Church
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, which is composed of God’s elect in every age.
The Lord’s people, according to His command, are to gather themselves into local churches. To each of these churches, Christ has given authority and responsibility for administering order, discipline, and worship according to the Scriptures. The officers of a church are Elders and Deacons.
Ephesians 5: 23, 25–27, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Revelation 2, 3, Philippians 1:1
We believe that there are but two ordinances appointed by Christ in His church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are positive commands to every believer.
Baptism is to be administered by total immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a symbol of union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It signifies the washing away of sins and is a prerequisite to church membership.
Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, John 3:23, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, Acts 18:8,1 Corinthians 1:2
We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ on the same night He was betrayed. The broken bread represents His body broken, and the wine, His blood which was shed for His people at Calvary. It is to be observed until the return of Christ. It is in no sense a re-sacrifice of Christ. Its purpose is to commemorate the death of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
We believe “Believers’ Baptism” to be a prerequisite to communion at the Lord’s Supper, that only they who have obeyed the Lord’s command to be baptised and who are in fellowship and good standing in their local church may partake in the remembrance of the Saviour’s death.
Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:40-42, Acts 18:8, cf 1 Corinthians 11:12-34
10. The Future
We believe in the visible, personal, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:27, 30, Acts 1:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 1:7
We believe that there will be at Christ’s return a general resurrection of the dead, of both the just and unjust and that they will be gathered to the judgement seat of Christ.
Acts 17:31, 2 Corinthians 5:10
We believe that the wicked shall be cast away into everlasting punishment in hell whereas the righteous will be welcomed into heaven where they will live and reign with Christ and enjoy His presence forever. Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Matthew 7:23, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:48, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 25:34, Revelation 22:3-5